Chapter 30
You Aren’t You
The ride home was a fast one.
I didn’t go past the speed limit, whether or not the signs had been stolen.
The exchange at the mall kept playing in my mind.
There’s no way this can be explained away.
I’m under drug lord protection.
I can get people killed if I don’t speak up.
“I’m under drug lord protection.”
I practice saying it out loud.
No. That sounds like bragging about being evil.
I can’t control this if I leave the base.
I’m going home.
Robert works for JAG, he’ll know what to do.
“You’re back fast, did you get lost?”
“No, something weird happened. I need to talk to you about it.”
“Was it closed?”
“No.”
“Just listen.
I got out of my car.
A man wanted $2 for watching my car.”
“They only charge you when you leave.”
“Well,
I was a woman alone.
The rules changed.
Just listen.
I went in and got scared.
I didn’t stay.”
“You got scared?”
“Armed guards.
Real weapons.
People watching me.
Scared!
I left.”
“I wouldn’t mind going back some time if you were with me.”
“Forget it.
You’ve talked me out of it already.”
“That wasn’t the weird part.
The guy that charged me came up to me on my way out.
He made a big deal about throwing my money on the ground.
He started saying, I no take your money.
You get me killed.
You get people killed.
You tell them who you are.”
“He must have thought you were someone else.”
“I think all this is about that kid in my class and the drug lord protection.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“The guy just thought you were someone else.
Stop being dramatic.”
I’m a clown. Clowns don’t do drama.
“Is that really what you think?”
“From what you told me, yes.
You just aren’t important enough to get a drug lord’s attention.”
“Well, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“But that’s pretty much what it boils down to.
He was just some strange man trying to get money from you.”
“But he threw the money on the ground.
Made me pick it up.”
“I told you he was strange.”
The thread of respect for him I was holding on to just snapped.
Daniel's Den 